THE HARBOR BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10624, 1 June 1897, Page 4

THE HARBOR BOARD.

Sitt,— l was glad to re«d your footnote to <* CtJunty Raiopaver'n " bitter Ott ton lust aotion of the Harbor Board. I oan Imagine nothing moro di:heartenipg to an editor oi a newspaper thnr, that his articles on Important local subj-c'a should evoke no expression uf public opinion, It Is Impossible to estimate tho les* tbot will be saffered by Napier through the action of the Board. As "County Ratepayer' points ont, tho absence of nn engineer '--a oompotent enslueer, tint a mr.ksshlfr— to look after a million's worth of work aud material simply meaos tbat tho Invest' ment of thit monoy mußt lock tiflor itself. Now, it did not require Mr Ci'U'j able teport to assure anyone that ut:le»a the portion of tha brrnkwatar whioh h».B withstood tbe general wreck 59 rireuerved -"*bfl Glasgow wharf mnnt no by the board. f> ' With t_* locn ol tbH whtut nob onr, penny _^ . will bo returned to the people ior the rates they have to pay. Tha argument ln support of the £500,000 loan, and iv mitigation of the rates, was that tho town wonld bdoefit by tho faot that tbo paocengera by the large steamers being landed at the Whaif would all oome anboro aud ■pep.d monoy. It was thon rjalculated tb.at at least 100 persons weekly would tsnter the town who bnt for the whar! wonld hava remained on board ta the roadstead. Bat that Is not al). It has been proved by competent authorities that unless tbe breakwater ls carried on to a oertain point travelling shingle will Riaduolly fill in the deep water that wbb proposed to bo enclosed. Should this happen, as most undoubtedly it will, then it follows that the half- million already apent will have been lost, ond lost for trver. I aji> not an advooate for the completlojj/'Oi the contemplated ortifiolil hartsor, as tbe district oannot afford lb » bp I do think with " County Ratepayer " ./ISnat a hideous blander has been made by the Board in a penny wise ond pound o^Uoollsh policy, that can only load to in the present nnd leave a legacy CT^debt and ft spoiled site furaboTbor to those who come after us,— l am, &0., Robt. Pbicb. Ruataniwha, May 29th, 1887.

Sir,— -When Mr Ormond rrome months bs;o expressed tho dfslre to retire from tlia chairmanship of ihe Hutbor Board one of yonr local caatemporailea Fu^gented r,_ Vaatloras t, ooropetont sneoesaor. Tr.« writer surely had no kuostl dpn ot iho manner in which Mr Viiutier filled the office of Mayor and o inducted the proceedings of the Municipal Council, uor could he havo ottonded the meatiogs of the Hospital Board when Mr Vautier was Its ohalrman. It is more than Hkelv that the more suggestion of Mr Vautier cs ohalrman of the Harbor Board Batten -d the ratepayers tbat they mlfjht do worse than suffer under Mr Orr_ond. The latest vagary ot the Bnard bad not then developed ltaelf. Now, perhaps, everyone Is sorry that Mr Ormond's desire to retire wbb not encouraged by an acclamation of publio delight. There has bseo nothing In hii past o _eer shut has oar_ei'. for hiui o oharacter for administrative ability. As ohalrman of pnbllo bodies he his a oapaolty for bnrrylns> through for writing, millions and Batting lis friends to pnso them, ned for Rectlns things Into his own hindi, And when ho 2s absolute muster he hen always bssa noted for Having o penny, and leaving (iia country to hunger for a wide, all-proaplug, and liberal administration. N'iplor will as bitterly suffer from hia man^pemrmt of tho Harbor Board as the province of Hawko'B Bay did from hi* nasro'v ndministration as SuporlntsmSent,— I am, &o„ Verb. Sap. May 30th, 1857.